Mencap worker suspended over man in wheelchair piled with shopping

A picture shared on Facebook appears to show female carer smoking next to an elderly man with bags piled on his lap

A Mencap support worker has been suspended after a photograph emerged apparently showing shopping bags piled on a client in a wheelchair, obscuring his vision.

The learning disability charity said it was appalled by the image, which shows a female carer smoking and talking on the phone next to an elderly man, who has several bags on a lap tray on his wheelchair. The image was posted to the charity’s Facebook page by Charlotte Shaw, who was concerned after seeing the image shared online.

“One of your staff in the Leicestershire area smoking whilst on the phone in Leicester shoving all her shopping bags on top of him with no care in the world,” she wrote in a post accompanying the photograph. “I don’t think she should work with vulnerable people,” she added. Steve Baker, regional director of services at Mencap, confirmed the charity had suspended the worker.